December 20, 2015 US international aid head to step down The head of the nation's global development agency said Wednesday he will step down from his post in February, following an announcement by the U.S. government that it would start talks toward restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba.
December 20, 2015 UN still struggling to move aid into Syria The U.N.'s decision in July to begin moving aid into war-torn Syria without the consent of President Bashar Assad was heralded as unprecedented. It was the first time that humanitarian need trumped a nation's sovereignty.
December 20, 2015 DHS: Visitors from three Ebola-stricken West African countries can stay in US for 18 months The Obama administration says people in the United States whose home countries are ravaged by Ebola can stay in America.
December 20, 2015 US Labor Department grants $1.4M to help Mexico support anti-discrimination laws The Department of Labor is coming under fire from some who say a $1.4 million grant to the Mexican government to support anti-discrimination laws in that country is a waste of U.S. time, money and resources.
December 20, 2015 Obama signals reset in US foreign policy, urges against 'military adventures' President Obama, in a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, signaled a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy -- one that pulls back from what he described as "military adventures" while wielding American power in other ways.
December 20, 2015 US gets serious about coup in Thailand, threatens to cut military aid The Pentagon on Saturday canceled military exercises in Thailand amid a military coup and urged organizers to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian country.
December 20, 2015 US suspends $3.5M in military aid to Thailand The State Department says it has suspended $3.5 million in military aid to Thailand.
December 20, 2015 US to help Central American coffee farmers fight fungus on high-end coffee blends The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to help Central American farmers fight a devastating coffee disease -- and hold down the price of your morning cup. At issue is a fungus called coffee rust that has caused more than $1 billion in damage across Latin American region. The fungus is especially deadly to Arabica coffee, the bean that makes up most high-end, specialty coffees.
December 20, 2015 Official: Freeing Nigerian girls a top US priority The State Department acknowledged Thursday it could have acted sooner to designate Nigeria's Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organization, even though the Nigerian government and many Africa experts opposed the move when it was first considered two years ago.
December 20, 2015 Peace talks set for South Sudan - or will new nation face global sanctions? South Sudan was supposed to be a crowning foreign policy achievement for the United States – something that would last at a time when the Arab Spring revolutions in Libya and Egypt haven’t been living up to their expectations. After all, the country’s very existence was brought about through years of developmental aid approved by various U.S. administrations.
